China has pressed a break on carmakers testing autonomous cars on the country's highway until the legislation is implemented.

She Weizhen, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that the ministry and law enforcers have a draft of the preliminary regulation. However, Weizhen refused to reveal specific details such as when the legislation will be finalized and released.

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Mashable reported that the recent initiative is quite intriguing considering the fact the China is keen to support autonomous driving technology and its implementation.

The field has been criticized after the United States' NHTSA opened an investigation into a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model S sedan driver who used the company's autopilot system in May. The recent crash could have potentially prod the move for a moratorium on autonomous car testing.

Bloomberg, on the other hand, noted that a moratorium on highway testing might trigger setbacks for firms aiming to introduce automated driving in the mainland, as local testing permits them to take various traffic conditions, driving habits and signage into consideration.

But it seems like China just wants to prioritize public safety first by stipulating ground rules for manufacturers over innovation of self-driving cars.

In related news, a self-driving car in China equipped with cameras and radar successfully completed a 1,200-mile trip in April. The car was produced by Chongqing Changan Automobile.

Also just recently, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Volvo and Baidu's parent company, encouraged the government to hasten the drafting of the legal framework concerning autonomous driving technology.

TagsAutonomous Cars, autopilot, Driverless Cars